Manufacture of metal utensils



Nov. 10, 1936. w. T. CHRISTMAN 2,060,038

MANUFACTURE OF METAL UTENSILS I Filed Nov. 12, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet lNVENTOR NOV. 10, 1936. w T, CHRIS-[MAN 2,060,038

MANUFACTURE OF METAL UTENSI LS Filed Nov. 12, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES MANUFACTURE William T. Christman,

F METAL UTENSILS Mount Lebanon, Pa., as-

signor to Federal Enameling & Stamping Company, McKees Rock Pennsylvanias, Pa., a corporation of Application November 12, 1934, Serial No.752,760

' 3 Claims.

This invention relates to metal utensils and more particularly todomestic utensils made of sheet metal.

Sheet metal utensils of the type to which the present invention relates,particularly those which are enameled, usually have bail ears or lugs towhich a bail maybe attached and in many cases a handle is also attachedto the edge of the utensil for ease in pouring. Heretofore, it has beencustomary in utensils of this type, commonly termed household utensils,to form the ears or lugs separately to the desired configurations andthereafter fasten them in the desired location on the utensil byriveting or welding. Likewise, the handle has heretofore been separatelyformed for attachment to the utensil and has been attached in likefashion.

The sheet metal stock for forming the utensils is generally purchased bythe manufacturer as individual square sheets. In forming a utensil ofsubstantially circular shape, it has hitherto been the practice to trimto a circular section the square sheet metal blank of the dimensionnecessary to produce the desired article and to leave just enough metalso that the drawing may be successfully carried out, as the further themetal extends from the drawn portion of the utensil the more dificult itis to make a pro-per draw. The corners of the square sheet which arethus trimmed away to make a circular blank represent waste material.Some of this waste material is retained by the manufacturer who uses itas sheet stock from which to separately punch and form bail ears to besubsequently welded or riveted on the utensil.

According to the present invention, more of the original blank isinitially utilized by forming integral bail ears and/or handles on theutensil from such corner portions of the blank, resulting in eliminatingthe operations of separately forming and attaching the bail ears andhandles, producing an improved article by reason of the greater securityof the integral handles, and ware of better appearance. Moreover, wherethe utensil is enameled, the integral ear eliminates any crevice orjoint in which pickling solution can be trapped where the ware iscleaned prior to enameling. Where pickling solution can be trapped in acrevice, as where the bail ear is separately attached, it mars theenamel in the subsequent operation of firing and produces defectiveware.

The invention further contemplates a preliminary trimming operation onthe blank whereby an even draw of the metal is secured notwithstandingthat the blank retains excess material from which to form the integralbail ears and/or handles.

Although the method of the present invention is particularly adapted andwill be herein described as suitable for forming circular householdutensils, it may be advantageously employed for the formation of othervessels or utensils not circular in outline.

The invention is applicable to the manufacture of utensils described inmy (Io-pending application, Serial No. 697,935, filed November 14, 1933,and the present application, which is directed to the method employed inthe manufacture of such utensils may be considered a division-in-part ofthe invention therein disclosed.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sheet metal blank,trimmed according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the utensil after the first drawingoperation has been performed thereon;

Figure 3 is a viewon the line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the utensil after the second drawingoperation has been performed thereon;

Figure 5 is a view on the line V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the utensil after blanking-out, showingthe projecting portions in chain lines and the blanked-out handle andlugs in full lines;

Figure 7 is a sectional view corresponding to Figure 6, showing the bailears turned up and the outer edge of the utensil folded over;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the completely formed utensil ready forplating or enameling, showing the edge of the handle curled over; and

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the completed utensil at right angles tothe view shown in Figure 8 and having a bail connected thereto.

Figure 1 shows a square blank 2 of sheet metal of the approximate sizeand gauge from which the desired utensil is to be drawn, the dot-anddashlines indicating the original shape of the blank as it is supplied tothe manufacturers. Each of the four corners 3 are cropped or trimmed toa rounded shape so that the blank when it is ready for drawing has theshape shown by the full lines. The dimension a-a and b-b of the blank issusbtantially the minimum dimension for producing a circular article ofthe character and depth which it is desired to produce. After shearing,the blank is placed in the appropriate dies and drawn to the depth shownin Figures 2 and 3. The blank now has a depressed portion 4 andlaterally extending portions 5, 6, l, and 8. these extending portionsbeing formed of the portions of the blank which originally lay along thediagonals of the original blank, 1. e. the remaining portions of thecorners of the blank. After a second drawing, the blank is drawn so asto have a deeper depressed portion 9 and laterally extending portionsIO, ll, l2, and I3.

When the utensil has been drawn to the desired depth, the lugs or earsl4 and I5, and the handle portion l6 are blanked out of the laterallyextending portions Ill, ll, l2, and I3, as shown in Figure 6. In thisfigure, the chain line shows the outline of the blank before theblanking-out operation, which outline is the same outline as that shownin Figure 4. It will be observed that the lugs or ears l4, I are blankedout of the laterally extending portions 10 and I2 and the handle I6 outof the extending portion [3. It is thus seen that the metal which washeretofore cropped or trimmed 01f has been utilized in forming the lugsor ears and the handle integral with the utensil.

After the bail ears and the handle have been blanked-out, the nextoperation consists in turning over the projecting edges I! of theutensil, turning down the outer edge l3 of the handle, and turning upthe ears or lugs. A cross-section of the utensil at this stage isillustrated in Figure 7.

The next operation consists of curling over the downwardly projectingedge is of the handle l6, as illustrated in Figure 8. The utensil is nowready to have a bail attached thereto, or it may be subjected to afurther process wherein the utensil is coated with the customary enamelor plating metal, after which the utensil may be tted with a bail l9, asshown in Figure 9.

It may be desirable that the completed utensil have an extendedpreformed handle attached to the handle Hi. This may be done by variousmethods, such as welding or riveting. In case the bail or lugs are notdesired, the met-a1 of the laterally extending portions l0 and I2, fromwhich the ears could have been blanked-out, as herein described, will beentirely removed. Likewise, it may not be desirable to have a handle onthe utensil, in which case the handle portion l6 will be cut off and theears or lugs l4 and I5 formed as heretofore described.

By following my herein described method, a utensil may be made which hasbail lugs or ears formed integrally with the utensil and from thematerial which would normally be trimmed from the blank from which theutensil is formed. The utensil is stronger than one made by theconventional method of forming the lugs separately and then attachingthem by welding or riveting, as is the customary practice. Furthermore,the cost of making the utensil is considerably reduced and a moreattractive and satisfactory article is produced.

Whi e I have described my invention as applicable to a utensil producedby two successive drawing operations, it is not in practice limitedthereto, as the number of draws is quite immaterial, and my invention isapplicable to a utensil produced by one or by many draws.

It is not necessary to originally trim the corners of the square blankbut by first trimming away these points or outer portions of thecorners, the metal draws more uniformly than where this is not done. Thereason for this is that the length of metal projecting beyond the edgesof the drawing dies is not, after the corners have been trimmed, sounequal, the blank approximating in its drawing properties a circularblank.

I have illustrated and described by way of example one type of utensilmade according to my invention. It will be understood that this methodmay be advantageously employed for the drawing of other utensils orvessels not circular in outline within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming imperforate sheet metal utensils havingintegral projections thereon providing handles and/or bail ears, whichcomprises forming a flat sheet metal blank of the approximate length andwidth necessary to produce a utensil of the depth and diameter desiredbut of a shape different from the shape of the utensil to be made,drawing the blank to produce the utensil and leaving a marginal flangeon the edge of the utensil which margin has projections corresponding tothe horizontal corners of the original blank, thereafter blanking outthe utensil from the pressed blank in such manner that portions of theprojections forming parts of the original corners of the blank are cui:to the desired shape and project laterally from the utensil, andsubsequently bending the attached projection so formed to provide a bailear or handle.

2. The method of manufacturing imperforate sheet metal utensils havingintegral bail ears thereon, which comprises forming a square blank ofsheet metal the approx mate size necessary to produce a utensil of thediameter and depth desired, trimming the corners of the blank to roundthem while leaving the major portion of the sides of the blank square,drawing the blank so as to form the utensil body and leaving a laterallyextend ng peripheral flange which flange has projections thereoncorresponding to the corner portions of the original blank, thereafterblanking out the utensil from the blank and simultaneously formingintegral projections on the utensil so blanked out from the projectionsof said laterally extending flange, and then bending the projections toshape to provide upstanding bail ears.

3. The method of forming sheet metal utensils having integralprojections thereon forming handles or bail ears, which comprisesforming a square biank of the approximate length and width necessary toproduce a circular utensil of the diameter and depth desired, trimmingthe corners of the square blank to round them but leaving the blank ofgenerally square shape. drawing the blank to produce a circular utensilhaving a lateral peripheral flange with eccentric portions thereon,thereafter blanking out the utensil from the blank so formed and in suchmanner that shaped projections integrally attached to the utensil areformed from one or more of said eccentric portions of the flange, andthen bending said attached projection to form a handle or bail ear asthe case may be.

WILLIAM T. CHRISTMAN.

